What Size Dumpster Do I Need? A Spartanburg Guide

Quick answer by project type

For most home projects in Spartanburg, a 20 yard dumpster is the one to start with. It is our most requested size and handles bigger kitchen remodels, roofing jobs, multi-room renovations, large cleanouts and estate cleanouts. Go 10 yard for small home projects, a bathroom remodel, a garage or attic cleanout or a yard cleanup. Go 15 yard for garage cleanouts, minor renovations, deck removal and flooring or carpet removal. Go 30 yard for full-home renovations, construction debris, new builds and demolition, and 40 yard for commercial projects, large construction and big estate or property cleanouts. Not sure? Call (864) 310-7644 and we size it for you.

Our own rule of thumb for common Spartanburg jobs: a roof replacement of around 2,000 square feet, a 15 yard; a kitchen remodel, a 10 or 15, and a 20 once the work spreads to more than one room; a whole-house cleanout, a 20; new construction or demolition, a 30 or 40. When a project sits right on the line between two sizes, it is almost always cheaper to size up once than to pay for a second haul.

The five sizes side by side

All five are open-top roll-offs about 8 feet wide. The 10 and 15 are shorter boxes; the 20, 30 and 40 share a footprint of about 22 feet and simply get taller. Pickup loads are a rough guide to volume. The weight column is the typical limit, which depends on the material.

Most people under-count the pile. Walk the house or the job before you call — count rooms, pickup loads or the square footage of flooring coming up — and when your estimate lands between two sizes, go up. A second haul costs more than the extra yards.

Check the weight, not just the volume

Volume and weight are two separate limits. Furniture and household junk are bulky and light; concrete, brick, dirt and roofing shingles hit the weight line long before the box looks full, so a half-full container of that debris may already be at its limit. For heavy concrete, brick or dirt, a weight-limited 10 or 15 yard is usually the smarter pick than a big box. Light household debris can usually be mixed; heavy materials should be kept separate. Tell us what is going in and we will match the size and weight allowance, so there is no overage to pay.

There is a disposal reason to sort, too. Spartanburg County's Wellford Landfill runs two landfills side by side: a Class Two landfill for construction, demolition and land-clearing debris, and a Class Three landfill for household trash. The FY26 fee schedule lists municipal solid waste at $33 a ton, with separate lines for construction and demolition debris, yard waste debris and a mixed-load surcharge — so a load that is one kind of material is the cheaper load. And mind the height: keep everything level with or below the top rim. An overfilled dumpster cannot be safely transported.

Measure the drop spot

Check the length first: about 12 feet for a 10 yard, about 14 for a 15, and about 22 feet for the 20, 30 and 40 — most of a two-car driveway. All are about 8 feet wide. Pick a clear, flat spot with a straight run for the truck to back in and nothing low overhead, such as branches or power lines. We put protective boards under the wheels on request, and recommend them on concrete, asphalt or pavers. Once our driver sets the container down, please do not move it; if it needs to shift, call us. The 10 yard is the easiest to fit on a tight driveway.

Keep it on private property where you can. We found no City of Spartanburg or Spartanburg County rule for a roll-off on your own driveway. A City street, sidewalk, alley or parking space is different: that takes the City's Temporary Street Closure and/or Encroachment application. On a state road, S.C. Code §57-7-210 makes it unlawful to place obstructions anywhere in the right-of-way, shoulders included. In Greer, the UDO lets a temporary dumpster sit on the property it serves but keeps it out of the front setback unless there is an active building permit. The permit guide covers every place we serve.

Why the trash cart will not do it

The City of Spartanburg collects a lot, but not a remodel. Its Solid Waste page says the City does not pick up tires, electronic waste, or contractor-generated construction and demolition materials or green waste. Furniture and appliances set 3 feet from your cart are removed within one to two business days, but City Code §28-43 makes it unlawful to put construction material, dirt, rocks or other debris from contract work at the curb — the contractor removes it. City green waste is limited to routine pruning: no limbs over 6 feet long or 6 inches across, no stumps, dirt or land-clearing debris.

The county and the towns are similar. Spartanburg County's recycling and collection centers are for county residents only, and the County says all furniture and construction materials must go to the Wellford Landfill or Station 16 Wellford. Lyman, Inman and Chesnee all make the contractor remove building materials; Cowpens says furniture, tires and lumber "must be collected by private contractors or taken to the County Landfill in Wellford"; Reidville offers no yard debris or large roadside pickup. A roll-off is for the pile that is bigger, heavier or sooner than any of that allows.

Five ways to get the size right

1. Estimate the debris before you call. Count rooms, pickup loads or the square footage of flooring coming up.
2. Allow for bulky items. Furniture and cabinets take up more room than they weigh — break them down to save space.
3. Ask about weight, not just yardage. Concrete, brick, dirt and shingles go by weight.
4. Size up when in doubt. It beats a second rental.
5. Call early. Call before noon and we can often deliver within hours; same-day or next-day delivery runs across Spartanburg County.

Describe the job on the phone — the materials, the scope and the timeline — and we recommend the size that fits. No upselling, just a straight answer from someone who knows Spartanburg.